TNAG-2169-FCO40-3106-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 47

Tiananmen Square does enshrine civil and political rights those contained`

in the International Covenant to which I have referred

-

and does allow

acts of free association and free speech. I believe the ability of people.

to act in that way would not be constrained.

Chairman:

Can we look now at how the Bill of Rights which has been

published will work in this and other areas, then we will come finally to

nationality questions before ending the session.

51.

Mr Canavan

The timetable for the enactment of the Bill of Rights seems to

have slipped a bit from that listed in the Government Response to our

Second Report. How long will it take to enact a Bill of Rights so that it

can be "entrenched in the Hong Kong system"?

(Mr Maude) How long it will take depends how swiftly it moves through

the procedures of the Legislative Council. I would expect it to be

introduced in the Council as a draft Bill before all that long. It is then

obviously subject to amendment, subject to debate in the legislative

process. How long it takes is very much a matter for Hong Kong rather than

It is a piece of Hong Kong legislation, not British legislation,

for us.

but I would not expect it to need to take all that long.

52.

Is the British Government satisfied that Article 39 of the

Basic Law and the Bill of Rights give adequate protection of the provisions

of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights?

(Mr Maude) Yes.

53.

Perfectly satisfied?

(Mr Maude) Yes.

54.

There has been criticism in Hong Kong in some quarters that

the Bill of Rights in some ways falls short of the commitments contained in

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